Before And After
by Jo and Inc
Summary: the weeks leading to the fall of earths mightiest heroes. the weeks after the day we never thought would come.


_**Ms. Marvel : WEEK ONE**_

The man stood there; full of heart ache for his dear loved ones. They had fallen, fallen hard. The earth had shook, and the towers disambled. Men ran, women hid, and children cried. Our very own finiest. Hitting hard at the tomorrow we never thought seen. Lifes a gift, and those who protected it didn't get the chance to believe it.

-0-

**8 Weeks earlier.**

"Stay put!" Their mother urged, fustrated. A simple citizen of the New York area was on her way home after getting her two children from school. Not enough money for a car, or a bus ride. Only them, their feet, and the pavement. She grabs their hands, restraining them from crossing the bussy street. The light changes, and they can go ahead with their mile walk home.

Halfway across the crosswalk, a car horn goes off about a block away. Four police crousers were speeding down the road after what seemed like a big white van. The mother hesatated in her possition; loosing balance. Car wheels squeeked, and the children ran to the opposite sidewalk. Leaving their middle-aged mother in the line of the chase. She gasped, realizing that everything was turning into slow motion. It seemed as though everything was lost in time; except for herself and the van. Lights blinded her as she stumbled to move towards her children. Her life flashed before her eyes.

The lights went away, and everything was still. For the first time in New York City in years, everything and everyone was silent. Not because she was gone nor they were gone aswell. Mearly because a certain local friend of theirs had stopped the car. He was big, muscular, and heroic. He had a great style of coherance and agility. Enabling him to use his unexpected powers to hold the powerful van back. His webs crawl and grab at the foundation of the burgalers vehicle. Once again, he had saved anothers life.

"Spiderman!" the mothers children exclaimed running toward their only lifeline. The boys hugged their completly healthy mother, starring over her shoulders to look at their favorite superhero.

"Be more careful crossing the streets, kiddos!" Spiderman explained in his normal joking tone of voice.

"We will mister!" They smiled and pulled the mother along down the road.

A rawr of applause, wistles, and yells can from all the bystanders. The cops officially arrested the guy in the van, and were now driving away towards the station. Spidie was proud of himself, and so was the rest of the crowd apparently.

-[]-

"Good work today out on Bakers Ave." Steven Rogers proclaimed towards his teammate. Out of his usual Captain America suit, Steve was dressed in out of date attire form the 1940's.

"Thanks," Peter Parker replied taking his red mask off, "I'm so glad we all got the identidy thing out of the way here at the Avengers Mansion so i don't have to be in this sweaty costume all the time!"

"I bet," Steve chuckled.

"Yuperonii," Peter smiled and walked out of the main area and down the right wing to his room.

Steve walked over to the kitchen area, considering the open floor plan of the main room. He grabbed his own coffee cup that Patsy, or Hellcat as shes better known as, made herself by carving a shield into one side, along with painted it the apropriate colors. As the worlds first superhero poured himself a cup of coffee, a few more team members assembled into the main room.

"Tony, get your head out of the clouds."

"You seriously think your suit could even make it past the earths atmosphere, let alone the computer in it still functioning?"

"Well, yes. And it's very, very possible." Anthony Stark aka Iron Man tried to prove that his theory could pull through and be true. Which from everyone elses opinions and point of views, it wasnt.

"Oh, let him talk about his fantacies for once, girls. Everyone here has something they want to do to inhance about their powers, or something along those lines." Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel, resolved their aruement.

"Steve! How are you?" Patsy came to him with a hug in mind. He sat his mug on the counter and returned the jesture.

"I'm well. Just got back from my personal mission a couple hours ago. Where have you been all day?" He informed her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry I wasn't here to greet you when you got back! I was out and about with everyone. We kind of decided to have a free, and utterly normal day." She smiled hugely.

Their conversation was like background music to the others in the room. Tony, Carol, and Jessica had began to discuss the teams next meeting as a whole. That night was a very prudent time to do so, taking into consideration everyone happened to be in the mansion.

-[]-

Later on that night, at the well planned meeting of the worlds finest super heroes, Tony took the stand to speak. Everyone seemed to be fitting in quite well into the main room. The seventeen Avengers that were currently on the team were all either sitting on the long couch, various chairs, the floor, or standing randomly. Everyone was having side conversations. Tony took a stand on the wide windowsilde facing the couch and ultimatly the rest of the room** (basically the same floor plan as Teen Titans but more room in the back)**.

"If i could have your attention please." He casually spoke into the microphone in his right hand. Everyone looked his way. The moniter behind him turned on, and a map of the city appeared. Not any ordinary boring map, but one marked with villains secret hide outs and various places to catch such people or drug dealers. He was going all out for his plan he was going to intoduce to them.

"Get on with it, mortal." Thor's unmistakable, bold, demanding, and distingst voice came from the back corner.

"Alright," Tony suddenly got quite nervous about his very blunt plan.

"Anthony? Are you alright?" Carol questioned the man in front of the whole room, looking a gushing Hulk green. Graciously hovering above the ground, she floated next to him and landed. Pulling his face towards hers, she made him look her in the eyes.

"Uh.." He was back from his very first panic attack. His normal, no shame, and confident swagger had left him for no reason at all. He was completely puzzled. It was like his minds ability to process things the way he normally did with optomism was taken away.

"How about i get him some water?" Jessica called from back in the kitchen. The group of heroes began to mumble to one another.

"I think he might need a bucket!" Greer, also known as Tigra, yelled as she pounced for the supply closet.

"Carol, I just lost myself back there. I'm...fine." Tony wispered.

"No you definatly are not fine! Your face is so green that if you were about 6 times bigger, I'd think you were Bruce!" She wispered back.

"Here!" Jessica handed Carol the cup of water just as Greer was crawling up with a bucket in her mouth by the handle. Tony took a quick swig of the liquid. A few moments later, continued the transaction by throwing up in the bucket.

"Here, let me look at his notes, and i'll tell the others our new mission to ride the city of chaos and corruption." Beast aka Philips stated simply and stood behind the podium.

-[]-

"Stay." demanded pointing a scornful finger at Tony laying in his bed.

"But-but why!" He argued.

"You just got hit with the 24 hour flew, you'll be fine. Even some normal superheroes get sick...lets just hope nothing happens and we need you." She wispered the last part, but he still heard. She closed the door to his room behind herself.

"Will he be alright?" Thor asked, conserned.

"Yes." She spoke clearly in her normal undercontrol and take-charge voice.

"I am very sorry about him." Thor went on, "I see the way you look at him. He is very dear to your heart. You don't want anything to happen to him. It's very kind."

"Well, thank you. I mean, yes I do care for his, and everyone elses health. Not everyone of us can fight against desease, getting hurt, or is a God like yourself and Storm." Carol stated.

"The thing that cunfuses onesself, a mear person watching on the outside, is that you care so much for him, yes, but do not love him. He does not love you, for which he has Pepper. Your heart has been passed around, time and time again. Yet, you will not let it go away to another man again. Not because you do not want love, but because someone already stole it. I such has not a clue of whome that is." Thor showed his observations.

"Thank you once again, Thor. You just said exactly how I have always felt. I do not love him, and someone still unknown to me has stolen my heart. I just want it back, I do not want his." She clearified

"Are you sure, Carol?"

"Apsolutely."

"No your not."

"You might be a god, but you do not know everything."

"Very well, then." He walked away toward his chambers.

She followed his lead, and went to hers.


End file.
